Erik ten Hag was frustrated with the number of goals conceded by Manchester United in the Champions League this season but refused to blame the goalkeeper, André Onana, despite his two blunders that cost his side a much-needed win over Galatasaray in the Champions League.
dropping to the bottom of Group A with only a thin chance of making the last 16. On a hostile night in Turkey, Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, and Scott McTominay scored for United, but they could only manage a draw as Onana missed two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks, allowing Galatasaray back into the game before Kerem Akturkoglu’s fierce equalizer.
United’s performance was eerily similar to their Champions League group stage match against Copenhagen, in which they surrendered a dominating lead. There were 17 shots for United and 16 for Galatasaray in the end-to-end contest, with several coming in the dying minutes as both teams fought for victory.
“He is OK. As I said, it is not about individuals. Of course, individual errors in football can make a difference and you take responsibility for it, but it is always about the team. This team is good, all the players in the squad are good and deserve the best, to play for Manchester United, because they are brilliant players. And that counts for the whole squad,” Ten Hag said.
Manchester United must beat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford and then hope for a draw between Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen. United will be eliminated if either team wins. They were impressive for long stretches against Galatasaray, but their defensive weakness has resulted in only Antwerp conceding more goals in this year’s group stage.
“You have to not so easily give free-kicks away and then defend the free-kicks better because it happened twice. But, I have to say, that is Hakim. His brilliance, I know that. In such zones he is extraordinary. To give such free-kicks [to him] is very difficult to defend as well,” Ten Hag praised Ziyech instead of blaming Onana.
